Performing Excorcisms

Bob Larson | www.boblarson.org

ITEMS THAT SHOULD BE PRESENT AT AN EXORCISM

Take your own Bible so you can readily find passages of Scripture. I also recommend having more than one translation available. Many contemporary churches use the New International Version, but I often find that the language of the King James or New King James is better suited to a literal translation of Scripture.

A good concordance is also important. The one in most Bibles are brief so it is best to have a separate concordance, such as Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. The Holy Spirit may bring to your mind certain Scriptures to use in battling the demons, and your ability to locate the Scripture and apply it precisely might depend on a complete, unabridged concordance.

If your ordeal is long and arduous, the victim often experiences extreme thirst. Sometimes light, healthy snacks are helpful if you are breaking your fast. Remember when David was fighting and his troops were hungry, he went into the house of God and ate the bread off the altar (1 Sam. 21:6, Matt. 12:3-4). This act would normally have been unlawful, but as Jesus pointed out, the human necessity of the moment was more important than abiding by strict legalistic edicts.

I have also found it is helpful to have a portable cassette player with tapes of praise and worship music. While taking a break from the ordeal to rest or rethink what is happening, the tapes are a means of torment to the demons and a further invitation for God's presence to be with you.

Make sure that toilet facilities are readily accessible, and never let the victim go into the rest room alone, once the demons have been aroused. If the exorcist is male and the victim is female, it's important to have another woman present who can assist in this regard. If the victim is offended by such seeming immodesty, at least make sure that someone stands next to the bathroom door and that the door is left slightly ajar. I've had demons manifest once the victim in a trance state, the demons kept the person in the bathroom for hours, and thus stopped the exorcise.

I have also encountered circumstances when a demon tried to provoke suicide while the person was in the bathroom. Medicine cabinets often contain scissors, razor blades, or other sharp objects. Demons will stop at nothing to impede the exorcism, and those ministering deliverance must constantly be on guard for any delaying tactic.

WHEN IS A PERSON READY FOR AN EXORCISM?

The presence of a demon doesn't necessitate the immediate act of exorcism. Some Christians erroneously assume that if a demon is manifesting and challenging the saints of God, retaliatory measures must be taken right away. In fact, not everyone who has a demon is ready to be exorcised. Three factors affect this decision: the volitional willingness of the victim, the spiritual preparedness of the exorcist, and the weakened condition of the demon.

Not everyone with a demon wants to get rid of him. Codependency with a demon or a desire for the temporary benefits spirit possession can offer will prevent some people from seeking help. Even those who want to be free are not always cooperative. The victims may have been threatened with harm to them or to family members.

Trust is also a big issue. Does the victim really trust the exorcist? Does the victim really trust God? Wanting to be free and willing to be free are different. The will of the victim is the spiritual battleground on which the war of exorcism is fought. The slightest reluctance can mean defeat.

For example, issues that need to be resolved may arise in the midst of an exorcism. This is where biblical ministry must blend with a sound psychological understanding of how trauma affects the soul. During a recent deliverance session with a woman, I discovered that an act of incest had been committed by her father. The woman lived in denial about the incident. She wanted be free from the demons, but found it difficult to admit that the father she loved so deeply had violated her as a young child. Her initial unwillingness to admit what happened gave the demons legal grounds for remaining.

The willingness of the victims can also be affected by their feelings toward God. Some have been tormented by cults in which Satanists, posing as Religious figures, brutalized them. They were raped with crucifixes, forced to drink blood in mock communions, or act as cult members in clerical garb committed unspeakable atrocities. Logic tells them not to equate those horrible deeds with the exorcism, but on a deep emotional level the link remains. Victims may will to be free, but a full volitional surrender depends on a 100 percent mental and emotional acknowledgment of that.

WHAT TO DO WHEN AN EXORCISM HAS ENDED

In a significant number of exorcisms I've conducted, demons went through all the actions of being cast out, but they' didn't go. Consequently, I've learned that when an exorcism seems to be over, it's still wise to check, recheck, and then check again to be sure the demon is truly gone. This is not a time for wishful thinking, hoping that everything is okay.

You should ask the victim how he or she feels. This person knows what it is like to have that demon around, and he or she is the best one to evaluate whether the spirit is gone. Ask the victim repeatedly if he or she senses any presence of the demon. The victim may feel hollow inside, because evil once filled spaces now empty in his or her soul. If the victim has any misgivings about freedom, it's better to err on the side of caution.

One way to find out if the demon is still present is to pray for the victim's complete filling of the Holy Spirit. Treat the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Dedicate each section of the body to Christ (Rom. 6:12-13). Ask the Lord to force into any open part left behind and to indicate what area of the mind or body the demons might yet try to control. Be thorough. Take time to complete a spiritual diagnostic follow-up before the fruits of victory are fully savored.

CAN SOMEONE WHO ISN'T A CHRISTIAN CAST OUT A DEMON?

Christians aren't the only ones who attempt exorcism. Medicine men, witch doctors, all sorts of shamans seek to exorcise evil spirits. In primitive cultures, demons are often believed to be the source of illness, spells, and bad luck. Pagans consort with witch doctors who brew potions and perform spells designed to appease or oppose unseen entities. Certain voodoo ceremonies are designed to expel evil spirits through consorting with "good" spirits. In many cases the clients of such occultists seem to experience phenomena similar to that resembling Christian exorcism. They also achieve a measure of relief from torment. But the demons have tricked them and will usually revisit their victims when they are out of the limelight.

When the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils, Jesus pointed out that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand (Matthew 12:25). So what is happening when witchcraft is employed to expel an evil spirit? Since Romans 12:21 declares that evil can only be overcome with good, we know that evil cannot truly cast out evil. What appears to be a legitimate exorcism may only be the unclean spirit temporarily vacating his human residence to give the impression he is gone. As an alternative, the demon may stay but cease certain actions of torment, giving the impression the pagan exorcism was successful. In either case, no true deliverance has occurred.

WHERE DOES A DEMON GO WHEN HE IS CAST OUT?

I have cast out hundreds of demons, commanding every one of them to go to the pit. Every time I have cast demons to the pit, they have pleaded not to be sent there. I've confronted demons that screamed, writhed and begged to avoid the pit. As a practical matter, any place a demon doesn't want to go is where I want to send them.(It is also safe to say "May Jesus do as He wishes with you.")

Can a demon be sent elsewhere? The demons in the demoniac of Gadara were sent into a herd of swine. In another instance Christ commanded unclean spirits to leave and never return again (Mark 9:25). It might be argued that these demons were implicitly sent to the pit, and that they knew these demons were implicitly sent to the pit, and that they knew their place of doom with a specific command from Christ. It is also clear from Scripture that some demons, which are now bound in the pit, will be loosed again during the Tribulation period (Revelation 9:1-3).